Umbrella having an anti-inversion mechanism

ABSTRACT

An umbrella has a plurality of ribs attached to a runner by main struts. The umbrella has an anti-inversion mechanism formed of a plurality of anti-inversion struts. Each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective main strut and is pivotally connected to a floating joint member that is freely movable along a length of one respective rib. The anti-inversion mechanism also includes a stop that is fixedly attached to the rib and restricts the degree of travel of the floating joint member along the rib and is positioned to prevent the respective rib from inverting in response to an applied force.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. Non-Provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 14/614,906, filed Feb. 5, 2015, the entire contentsof which is incorporated by reference herein as if expressly set forthin its respective entirety herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to umbrellas and more particularly,relates to an umbrella that is designed to resist inversion in adverseconditions including strong winds, etc.

BACKGROUND

As is well known, an umbrella is a device that protects the user fromthe elements and in particular from liquid and frozen precipitation oreven the sun, etc. A traditional umbrella has the following parts: apole, a canopy, ribs, a runner, springs and a ferrule. A pole is themetal or wooden shaft that runs between the umbrella's handle at thebottom (or the base stand in the case of a patio model) and the canopyat the top. The canopy is the fabric part of the umbrella that catchesthe rain, the wind and the sun. The ribs are what give an umbrella itsstructure and shape. Outer ribs hold up the canopy and inner ribs(sometimes called stretchers) act as supports and connect the outer ribsto the umbrella pole. A runner slides up and down the pole whileconnected to the ribs/stretchers, and is responsible for the opening andclosing of the canopy. Many umbrella designs include a top spring tohold the runner up when the canopy is open, a bottom spring to hold therunner down when the canopy is closed, and sometimes a center ballspring to extend the pole length in telescopic models. Strictlyornamental, the finial (also called the ferrule) is found on the verytop of the umbrella, above the canopy.

Umbrella ribs function in a folding construction supporting the umbrellacanopy fabric. Under normal operating conditions, the forces acting onthe umbrella canopy fabric increase toward peak values when the canopybecomes fully deployed and when wind gusts tend to overturn the canopy.These forces are transmitted from the canopy to the canopy ribs, and canact on the ribs in opposite directions depending on the direction of thewind. The ribs thus have to be strong enough to withstand forces whichcan act on them from anyone of the two main opposite directions.

The above construction is the most common one for an umbrella and thecanopy assumes a downward convex shape. One significant problem withsuch design arises when there is a strong wind or sudden gust whichexerts a force against the inner surface of the canopy causing thecanopy to invert from its normal position to an upward position to anupward convex position.

Umbrellas addressing the problems of wind gusts have been proposed withone solution being the placement of apertures located within the canopywhich allow for the air to flow through the canopy reducing the totalforce experienced by the canopy. However, the apertures are not largeenough to provide a sufficient airflow to greatly reduce the force andin most circumstances, the canopy still inverts. Another solution tothis has been to add strings that connect from the umbrella strut to thetip area. However, this solution also suffers from a deficiency in thatthese strings can become loose over time or get cut or tangle, etc.,during use.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide awindproof umbrella that acts so as to prevent the inversion of theumbrella in strong wind.

SUMMARY

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, anumbrella includes an elongated shaft having a first end and an oppositesecond end and a runner slidably disposed about the elongated shaft andmovable along a length of the shaft. The umbrella has a plurality ofribs that are attached to the runner by a plurality of main struts thatmove between open and closed positions in which in the open position,the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closed position,the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position.

In accordance with the present invention, the umbrella has ananti-inversion mechanism formed of a plurality of anti-inversion struts.Each anti-inversion strut is pivotally coupled to one respective mainstrut and is pivotally connected to a floating joint member that isfreely movable along a length of the rib. The anti-inversion mechanismalso includes a stop that is fixedly attached to the rib and restrictsthe degree of travel of the floating joint member along the rib and ispositioned to prevent the respective rib from inverting in response toan applied force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an umbrella, of a manual type,including a shaft and an umbrella rib assembly in accordance with thepresent invention and being shown in a fully opened position, with onlya single rib assembly being shown for sake of illustration purposesonly;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the umbrella rib assembly of FIG. 1shown in a half open position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the umbrella rib assembly of FIG. 1shown in a closed position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an umbrella having a plurality of ribassemblies of FIG. 1 being shown in a fully open position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the umbrella of FIG. 4 being shown in afully closed position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the ribassembly of FIG. 1 showing the anti-inversion feature of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a strut to rib joint of the ribassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7B is a side elevation view of the strut to rib joint of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C is a top plan view of the strut to rib joint of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7D is an end view of the strut to rib joint of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a floating joint of the rib assembly ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 8B is a side elevation view of the floating joint of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8C is a top plan view of the floating joint of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8D is an end view of the floating joint of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a floating joint stop of the ribassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9B is a side elevation view of the floating joint stop of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 9C is a top plan view of the floating joint stop of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 9D is an end view of the floating joint stop of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a rib tip;

FIG. 10B is a top plan view of the rib tip;

FIG. 10C is a side elevation view of the rib tip;

FIG. 10D is an end view of the rib tip;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a rib tip assembly in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the tip assembly in aclosed/uncompressed state;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the tip assembly in anopen/compressed state;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of a shaft assembly of the umbrella ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged side elevation view of a shaft lock that is partof the shaft assembly;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the shaft lock;

FIG. 17A is a side elevation view of a shaft assembly with the runner inan unlocked position;

FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of the runner of FIG. 17A in theunlocked position;

FIG. 18A is a side elevation view of the shaft assembly with the runnerin a locked position;

FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view of the shaft assembly with the runnerin the locked position;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view of an umbrella, of a manual type,including a shaft and an umbrella rib assembly in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention and being shown in a fullyopened position, with only a single rib assembly being shown for sake ofillustration purposes only;

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of an anti-inversion strut according to oneembodiment; and

FIG. 21 is a side elevation view of the anti-inversion strut.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

As discussed herein, the present invention is directed to improvementwith respect to a number of components of an umbrella including but notlimited to a shaft construction and a rib assembly thereof. As discussedherein, the features of the present invention can be implemented withboth a manual type umbrella and an automatic type umbrella. In addition,the other features can be implemented with other types of umbrellas.Accordingly, the following discussion and figures describe exemplaryembodiments that implement the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an umbrella 100 in accordance with oneexemplary embodiment of the present invention with only one assemblybeing shown for sake of clarity and to simplify a discussion of thepresent invention. The umbrella 100 is of a type that is commonlyreferred to as a golf umbrella which is commonly known to be anoversized umbrella that is used to protect golfers and their carts fromrain. The long shaft of a golf umbrella is usually not collapsible. Itwill be appreciated and understood that the various features of thepresent invention described herein can be implemented in other types ofumbrellas besides golf umbrellas.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 14, the umbrella 100 includes a shaft 110 thathas a first (top) end 112 and an opposite second (bottom) end 114. Theshaft 110 itself can be formed of any number of different components tocooperate to provide shaft 110 and the shaft 110 illustrated in FIG. 1is part of a manual umbrella assembly in which the user manually opensand closes the umbrella as described herein. At the first end 112, a capor decorate ferrule (not shown) is typically provided to close off theshaft 110 and at the second end 114, a handle 130 is provided forgrasping by the user.

Referring to FIGS. 14-16, the illustrated shaft 110 is formed of aplurality of different shaft sections that mate together to form theassembled shaft. More specifically, the shaft 110 can be formed of threedistinct shaft sections, namely, a first shaft section 111, a secondshaft section 113, and a third shaft section 115. The first shaftsection 111 is attached at one end to the cap/ferrule and at its otherend to one end of the second shaft section 113. The second shaft section113 is attached at its other end to one end of the third shaft section115. The third shaft section 115 is attached at its other end to thehandle 130. Thus, the first shaft section 111 represents the top shaftsection; the second shaft section 113 represents the middle shaftsection; and the third shaft section 115 represents the bottom shaftsection. The dimensions of the individual shaft sections 111, 113, 115can differ and in particular, at least one of the length and/or width(e.g., diameter) can be different. In the illustrated embodiment, thesections 111, 113, 115 have the same width but the middle section 113has a greater length than the sections 111, 115 which are shown to havethe same lengths. For example, the three shaft sections 111, 113, 115can be 14 mm shaft sections made of carbon.

The shaft sections 111, 113, 115 are connected to one another by meansof coupling members 105. One coupling member 105 is attached between twoadjacent shaft sections 111, 113, 115. The coupling member 105 can bethought of as being a shaft lock member (lock insert) and can be formedof a metal material, such as aluminum. The lock member 105 can be ahollow member (tube) that has a first annular ridge (lip) 107 formedalong its outer surface and a second annular ridge (lip) 109 formedalong its outer surface and spaced from the first annular ridge 107. Aspace 108 is formed between the ridges 107, 109. The annular ridges 107,109 define stops for the respect shaft sections. More specifically, anouter diameter of the lock member 105 outside of the annular ridges 107,109 is selected such that it can be inserted into the hollow interior ofthe respect shaft sections 111, 113, 115 so as to form a friction fittherebetween (a mechanical fit). Since the annular ridges 107, 109 havea greater diameter than the inner diameter of the shaft sections 111,113, 115, the lock member 105 cannot be inserted into the respectiveshaft section. Instead, these annular ridges 107, 109 act as stops andprevent further insertion of the lock member 105 into the respectiveshaft section. When assembled, the surface of the lock member 105between the two ridges 107, 109 is visible.

The lock members 105 thus provide rigid coupling members securelyattaching the shaft sections 111, 113, 115 to form the completeassembled shaft.

As mentioned above, one of the main components of an umbrella is arunner 150. The runner 150 is the part of the umbrella that opens andcloses the umbrella 100, with the runner 150 moving along the shaft 110.The runner 150 is thus a hollow member that surrounds the shaft 110 andis movable along the shaft 110 and can be locked into one or moredifferent positions. FIGS. 17A, 17B, 18A and 18B show the runner 150 ingreater detail. The runner 150 is formed of several parts or portionsincluding a generally cylindrical shaped base portion 152 and a shaftrunner lock 154. A top portion 153 of the runner 150 is configured toreceive and securely attach to a plurality of struts, as discussedbelow, to effectuate movement of the ribs 200. The top portion 153 thusincludes a plurality of slots 155 formed circumferentially thereaboutfor receiving the struts. The shaft runner lock 154 is located betweenthe top portion 153 and the base portion 152.

The shaft runner lock 154 is designed to selectively lock the runner 150into one of a plurality of locked positions along the shaft 110. FIGS.18A and B are cross-sectional views of the runner 150. FIGS. 17A and 17Bshow the runner 150 in an unlocked (open) position relative to the lockmember 105, while FIGS. 18A and 18B show the runner 150 in a lockedposition in which the runner 150 is locked in place relative to theshaft (i.e., is locked with respect to the lock member 105).

The lock member 105 can thus be in the form of a machined piece ofaluminum (or other material) that provides a recess (space 108) for therunner 150 to make a connection to lock in place.

The shaft runner lock 154 is designed to lock and engage the shaft lockmember 105. The shaft runner lock 154 is a push/pull runner that movesalong the shaft. More specifically, the shaft runner lock 154 has aresilient lock member (runner catch) 157 that engages and seats withinthe space 108 formed between the annular ridges 107, 109. The resilientlock member 157 can comprise an annular shaped lock member 157 that hasan inwardly directed lip that seats within the space 108 when it is inregistration therewith. The resiliency (flexing) of the lock member 157allows the lock member 157 to flex outward allowing disengagement withthe space 108. When the lock member 157 (and in particular, the lip 159thereof) is disengaged from the shaft lock member 105, the runner 150can freely move along the shaft 110.

In use, when the runner 150 gets to a certain point where it cannot movevertically up anymore and then the pressure gets directed to the runnercatch 157 which locks itself to the lock insert 105. One advantage ofthis design is that typically one would need to swage or reduce thediameter of the shaft in some way to allow the runner to engage thelocking mechanism or one would have to add material to the outside ofthe shaft itself to make a locking position. However, adding material tothe shaft is unsightly and also makes the folded diameter of theumbrella larger.

FIGS. 17A and 17B show the runner 150 in the unlocked position in whichit is free to move along the shaft. In this unlocked position, therunner catch 157 is not actively engaged with the space (recess/channel)108, while in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the runner catch 157 is activelyengaged with the space (recess) 108, thereby locking the runner 150 tothe shaft. As mentioned herein, when the runner 150 is pushed it gets toa certain point (such as the point shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B) where itcannot move any more in the vertical direction. Continued application offorce against the runner in the vertical direction causes a force to beapplied to the runner catch 157 and this results in deformation of therunner catch 157 in a radially inward direction toward the lock insert105.

The runner catch 157 can be disengaged from the locking recess 108 byovercoming the retention force meaning that when the user exertssufficient force to the runner 150, the runner catch 157 disengages fromthe locking recess 108 and the runner 150 is free to move.

As described herein, the lock members 105 are thus positioned along theshaft 110 to lock the runner 150 into desired positions, such as a fullyopen position and a fully closed position as illustrated herein.

It will be appreciated that the runner 150 is merely illustrative andnot limiting of the scope of the present invention since other runnerconstructions can be used with the umbrella of the present invention.

To move the runner 150 along the shaft 110 in either direction (up anddown), the user simply applies a sufficient force to cause the lockmember 157 to disengage from the lock slot (space 108).

The umbrella 100 also includes a top notch 119 that is an annular shapedmember that is attached to the shaft 110 and surrounds the shaft 110.The top notch 119 is configured to receive ribs 200 and thus serves anattachment point for such ribs. The ribs are attached to the shaft 110by fitting into the top notch 119 and can then be held by a wire orother means. The top notch 119 can be a thin, round nylon or plasticpiece with teeth around the edges.

As will be appreciated by the following description, each rib 200 iscoupled to both the top notch 119 and the runner 150 and this results inthe opening and closing of the rib 200 and the attached canopy (notshown) based on the direction of movement of the runner 150. Theconnection between the rib 200 and the runner 150 is made by a strut 300(main strut). The strut 300 is an elongated structure that has a firstend 302 and an opposite second end 304, with the first end 302 beingpivotally attached to the runner 150 and the second end 304 beingpivotally attached to the rib 200. The pivotal connection between thestrut 300 and the runner 150 and between the strut 300 and the rib 200can be accomplished with a fastener, such as a rivet or pin, etc. Morespecifically, a first strut joint 310 is formed between the strut 300and the runner 150 at the first end 302 and a second strut joint 320 isformed between the strut 300 and the rib 200 at second end 304.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first strut joint 310 can be in the form of amale end joint that is configured to pivotally attach to the runner 150to allow the strut 300 to pivot between an open position and a closedposition.

The second strut joint 320 is in the form of a double joint and is bestshown in FIGS. 6 and 7A-D. The second strut joint 320 can also bethought of as being a strut to rib joint and includes a first end 321that attaches to the distal end of the strut 300 and a second end 322which includes a pair of spaced fingers 323 that are parallel to oneanother and define an open space 324 therebetween and have alignedopenings formed therein to allow passage of a fastener or the like tocouple the joint to another structure (rib) as discussed below. As shownin FIGS. 7A-D, the second strut joint 320 also includes a jointconnector 315 which can be in the form of a fin that protrudes outwardlyfrom the body of the joint 310 (i.e., the connector 315 is formedperpendicular to the body of the connector 315). The joint connector 315has an opening formed therein to allow a fastener to pass therethroughto allow to another structure to be pivotally attached to the jointconnector 315.

The strut 300 can be formed of any number of different materialsincluding a metal (e.g., a zinc alloy).

As shown in the figures, the rib 200 is an elongated structure that iscoupled to other components of the umbrella to provide a rib assemblydefined by a plurality of ribs 200 that open and close.

Each rib 200 is an elongated, flexible structure that has a first end(proximal end) 210 and an opposing second end (distal end) 212. Thefirst end 210 is pivotally attached to the top notch 119 and morespecifically, a first rib joint 220 can be provided at the first end 210and be designed to allow the rib 200 to pivot relative to the top notch119. In the illustrated embodiment, the first rib joint 220 can be inthe form of a male end joint that can have a similar or the sameconstruction as the first rib joint 310 that is part of the strutassembly.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the rib 200 also includes a second rib joint230 that is disposed along the length of the rib 200. The second ribjoint 230 can be fixedly attached to the rib 200 at a specific locationthereof. The second rib joint 230 can thus be in the form of a hollowstructure that receives the rib 200 and is fixedly attached to the rib200 so that during use, the second rib joint 230 does not move butrather remains at the fixed location. The second rib joint 230 has aconnector portion 232 in the form of a fin (protrusion) that extendsradially outward therefrom. The connector portion 232 can thus be formedperpendicular to the body of the second rib joint 230. The connectorportion 232 includes an opening formed therethrough.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7A-D, the connector portion 232 is sizedand configured to disposed within the open space 234 defined between thepair of spaced fingers 323 of the second strut joint 320. When insertedinto the open space 234, the opening formed in the connector portion 232axially aligns with the openings in the fingers 323 to allow passage ofa fastener (such as a pin or rivet or wire, etc.), whereby the secondstrut joint 320 is pivotally attached to the rib 200 (and thus, thestrut 300 is pivotally attached to the rib 200).

According to one aspect of the present invention, an anti-inversionmechanism (feature) 400 is provided and is configured to counter aninversion force that is applied to the umbrella during select operatingconditions and in particular, during windy conditions or other adverseconditions. As is well known by users of umbrellas, if a sudden gust ofwind is directed upwardly toward the inside of the umbrella, thepressure applied by the wind will invert the canopy causing the ribs towork counterproductively forcing it outwards. The canopy generallyassumes a concave shape when inversion occurs and similarly, the ribsare force to pivot in unintended directions which can result in one ormore ribs breaking. This renders the umbrella not usable. The umbrellaof the present invention has the anti-inversion mechanism 400 that ismade up of several components that are individually discussed below.

As shown in FIG. 6 and FIGS. 8A-C, the anti-inversion mechanism 400comprises an anti-inversion strut 410 that has a first end 412 that iscoupled to the strut 300 and an opposite second end 414 that is coupledto the rib 200. More specifically, the first end 412 is coupled to thesecond strut joint 320 and the second end 414 is coupled to the rib 200.The anti-inversion strut 410 has a first end joint 411 at the first end412 and a second end joint 413 at the second end 414. The illustratedfirst and second end joints 411, 413 are in the form of female endjoints and in particular, the first end joint 411 is defined by a pairof spaced apart fingers 415 that has an open space formed therebetweenand the second end joint 413 is also defined by a pair of spaced apartfingers 417 that has an open space formed therebetween. The jointconnector 315 (a male joint) is received into the open space between thefingers 415 (a female joint) of the first end joint 411, therebycoupling the anti-inversion strut 410 to the strut 300 in manner inwhich the anti-inversion strut 410 can pivot relative to the strut 300.

The first and second end joints 411, 413 can be mechanically fixed tothe elongated strut body or the end joints 411, 413 can be molded overan existing strut material.

The anti-inversion strut 410 can be formed of any number of differentmaterials including metals and synthetics. In one exemplary embodiment,the anti-inversion strut 410 comprises a 6 mm carbon Fiber rod.

The anti-inversion mechanism 400 also includes a floating joint 500 thatis slidingly coupled to the rib 200 and configured to mate with thesecond end joint 413. FIGS. 8A-D illustrate the floating joint 500. Thefloating joint 500 has a main body 510 that includes a bore 512 that isformed therein and represents a through hole that passes from one end ofthe main body 510 to the other end thereof. The floating joint 500 alsoincludes a joint connector 520 in the form of a fin that extendsradially outward from the main body 510. The connector 520 can be formedperpendicular to the main body 510. The connector 520 has an openingformed therein. The connector 520 thus represents a male joint.

The anti-inversion strut 410 is coupled to the rib 200 by inserting theconnector 510 between the spaced fingers 417 of the second end joint413. As in the other joint, a fastener or the like can be used to couplethe connector 510 to the fingers 417.

The rib 200 is received within and passes through the bore 512 and thesize (diameter) of the bore 512 and the size (diameter) of the rib 200are selected such that the floating joint 500 can freely move in alongitudinal direction along the length of the rib 200. This allows thefloating joint 500 to be one which can freely travel up (toward the topnotch 119) and down the rib 200 (toward the rib tip) when the umbrellaopens and closes.

It will be appreciated that in another embodiment, the floating jointcan be a male part that includes male connector 520; however, ispositioned internal to the rib 200 such that the floating joint is freeto move within the hollow inside of the rib 200 (e.g., an aluminumextrusion rib or formed steel rib). The rib 200 could thus have a linearslot formed therein through which the connector 520 passes. Theoperation of the floating joint is otherwise the same. In thisalternative embodiment, the “floating action” of the floating joint thusoccurs internally within the rib 200 as opposed to on the outside of therib 200 in the illustrated embodiment.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 9A-D, the anti-inversion mechanism 400also includes a floating joint stop 530 that is fixedly attached to therib 200. The floating joint stop 530 is disposed between the floatingjoint 500 and the second rib joint 230 and remains at a fixed locationalong the rib 200. The stop 530 includes a bore 532 that extendstherethrough and receives the rib 200. The stop 530 is fixed to the rib200 using traditional techniques so as to fix the stop 530 at a specifictarget location along the length of the rib 200. The stop 530 can befixed by mechanical or overmolded which is the preferred method in thisinstance. The stop 530 is constructed such that it restricts themovement of the floating joint 500 in the direction toward the top notch119.

It will be appreciated that when the umbrella is in the open position,the floating joint 500 rides along the rib 200 until it contacts thefloating joint stop 530. The floating joint 500 in combination with thefloating joint stop 530 prevents the rib 200 from inverting as whenunder the force of a strong wind. Inversion is prevented since the ribcannot bend upwardly due to the blocking action of the floating jointstop 530.

FIGS. 10A-D and 11-13 illustrate the details of a tip 600 of the rib200. The tip 600 comprises a structure which attaches to the distal endof the rib 200. The tip 600 is defined by a hollow main body 602 thathas a bore 603 that receives the distal end of the rib 200 and issecured thereto. The tip 600 generally has a delta wing shape and isdefined by first and second wing sections 620, 630 that extend outwardlyand rearwardly from the main body 610. Each of the wing sections 620,630 has an angled leading edge 625, 635, respectively, and an angledtrailing edge 627, 637, respectively. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10D,the wing sections 620, 630 are angled relative to one another in thatthey do not lie entirely within the same plane. The tip 600 isconstructed and designed such that it is angled to match the angle ofthe canopy when the canopy is in the open position.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate yet another feature of the tip 600 in that thebore 603 of the main body 602 includes a biasing member 640, such as aspring. The spring 640 is disposed between the distal end of the rib 200and a stop 605 formed in the main body 602. The stop 605 represents anend of the bore 603. The bore 603 is designed to permit movement of thedistal end of the rib 200 so as to allow the ribs 200 and the umbrellafor that matter to move between the open and closed positions. Thespring 630 will thus store and release energy based on the manner inwhich the rib 200 acts thereon. FIG. 12 shows the tip assembly in aclosed/uncompressed state, while FIG. 13 shows the tip assembly in anopen/compressed state. In FIG. 13, the relationship between the canopyand the tip when the umbrella is opened due to the compressed state ofthe inner spring 640 of the tip.

In an alternative embodiment, the tip can comprise a male unit(structure) that has a protruding portion that is received within anopening (e.g., a bore) formed in the distal end of the rib (e.g.,aluminum extrusion rib or formed steel rib). The coupling is thus formedby inserting the protruding portion of the tip into the opening (bore)of the rib. As in the above embodiment, a biasing member, such as aspring, can be disposed within the opening (bore) formed in the rib andin contact with the protruding portion of the tip that is likewisedisposed within the opening (bore) of the rib.

FIG. 2 shows the umbrella 100 and in particular, the single rib assemblyin a half open position, while FIG. 4 shows the umbrella and inparticular, the single rib assembly in a fully closed position.

FIG. 4 shows the umbrella 100 with the plurality of rib assemblies inthe fully opened position, while FIG. 5 shows the umbrella 100 with theplurality of rib assemblies in the fully closed position.

While each part of the umbrella is necessary for its operation, therunner 150 is the part that opens and closes it. When the runner 150 isall the way down, the struts 300 are folded flat against the shaft andthe umbrella is “closed,” with the waterproof material and the ribswrapped around the shaft. To open the umbrella, the user slides therunner 150 all the way to the top. The struts 300 extend, raising theribs 200 to which they are attached and spreading the material tight(canopy) over the ribs 200.

FIGS. 19-21 illustrate an umbrella 700 according to another embodiment.The umbrella 700 is similar to umbrella 100 and therefore, like elementsare numbered alike. The umbrella 700 includes the shaft 110 and runner150 which slidingly travels along the shaft 110. As in the previousembodiment, the connection between the rib 200 and the runner 150 ismade by the strut 300. Unlike in the first embodiment, there is noanti-inversion strut 400 between the strut 300 and the rib 200. Instead,the umbrella 700 of FIGS. 19-21 includes a different anti-inversionstrut mechanism 800.

In this embodiment, the anti-inversion strut mechanism 800 includes ananti-inversion strut 810 that has a first end 812 and an opposing secondend 814. The first end 812 is operatively coupled to a floating notch815 which is movingly disposed about the shaft 110. More specifically,the floating notch 815 is slidingly coupled to the shaft 110 and travelsup and down the shaft 110 much like the runner 150. The floating notch815 is located between the runner 150 and the top notch 119.

The floating notch 815 can be similar to the top notch 119 in terms ofits construction and can be in the form of an annular shaped member thatis attached to the shaft 110 and surrounds the shaft 110. The floatingnotch 815 is configured to receive anti-inversion struts 810 and thusserves an attachment point for such struts. The struts 810 are attachedto the shaft 110 by fitting into the floating notch 815 and can then beheld by a wire or other means. The floating notch 815 can be a thin,round nylon or plastic piece with teeth around the edges.

The first end 812 of the anti-inversion strut 810 is operatively coupledto the floating notch 815 and the second end 814 of the anti-inversionstrut 810 is operatively coupled to the rib 200.

FIGS. 19-21 show the details of the strut 810. The anti-inversion strut810 is formed of first and second parallel rods 820, 830. The first endsof the first and second parallel rods 820, 830 are coupled to a firstjoint 840 at the first end 812 and the second ends of the first andsecond parallel rods 820, 830 are coupled to a second joint 850 at thesecond end 814. The first joint 840 can be one of a male joint and afemale joint and the second joint 850 can be one of a male joint and afemale joint. For example, the first joint 840 can be in the form of amale joint (twin rod male joint) and the second joint 850 can be in theform of a female joint (twin rod female joint). The male joint (e.g.,joint 840) is defined by a single protrusion (finger) 841, while thefemale joint (e.g., joint 850) is defined by a pair of spacedprotrusions (fingers) 843 with a space 845 defined between theprotrusions 843.

The first joint 840 is configured to be pivotally attached to thefloating notch 815 and the second joint 850 is configured to bepivotally attached to the rib 200. With respect to the coupling betweenjoint 840, the protrusion 841 of the first joint 840 is received in acomplementary space (slot) formed in the floating notch 815.

The second joint 850 is operatively coupled to a floating joint, such asfloating joint 500. As previously discussed, the floating joint 500 isslidingly coupled to the rib 200 and is configured to mate with thesecond joint 850. FIGS. 8A-D illustrate the floating joint 500. Thefloating joint 500 is defined by the main body 510 that includes thebore 512 that is formed therein and represents a through hole thatpasses from one end of the main body 510 to the other end thereof. Thefloating joint 500 also includes the joint connector 520 (FIG. 8A) inthe form of a fin that extends radially outward from the main body 510.The connector 520 can be formed perpendicular to the main body 510. Theconnector 520 has an opening formed therein. The connector 520 thusrepresents a male joint.

The anti-inversion strut 810 is coupled to the rib 200 by inserting theconnector 520 into the space 845 formed between the spaced fingers(protrusions) 843 of the second end joint 413.

As in the other joint, a fastener or the like can be used to couple theconnector 520 to the fingers 843.

The rib 200 is received within and passes through the bore 512 (FIG. 8A)and the size (diameter) of the bore 512 and the size (diameter) of therib 200 are selected such that the floating joint 500 can freely move ina longitudinal direction along the length of the rib 200. This allowsthe floating joint 500 to be one which can freely travel up (toward thetop notch 119) and down the rib 200 (toward the rib tip) when theumbrella opens and closes.

The strut 300 passes within the open space that is formed between thefirst and second parallel rods 820, 830 of the anti-inversion strut 810.This open space between the rods 820, 830 extends from the first joint840 to the second joint 850 and accommodates the strut 300 in allpositions of the umbrella from the fully closed position to the fullycollapsed position.

As in the first embodiment, the rib 200 of umbrella 700 includesfloating joint stop 530 that is fixedly attached to the rib 200. Thefloating joint stop 530 is disposed between the floating joint 500 andthe second rib joint 230 and remains at a fixed location along the rib200. The stop 530 includes a bore 532 that extends therethrough andreceives the rib 200. The stop 530 is fixed to the rib 200 usingtraditional techniques so as to fix the stop 530 at a specific targetlocation along the length of the rib 200. The stop 530 can be fixed bymechanical or overmolded which is the preferred method in this instance.The stop 530 is constructed such that it restricts the movement of thefloating joint 500 in the direction toward the top notch 119. As in thefirst embodiment, the stop 530 prevents the rib 200 from inverting underpressure.

The anti-inversion mechanism in umbrella 700 is thus formed between andserves to connect the floating notch 815 to the floating joint 500 asopposed to the first embodiment in which the anti-inversion mechanismwas located between a pivotable strut and the rib.

It will also be understood that the male/female type connectionsdescribed herein can be reversed in that the part described herein ascontaining the male connector can instead contain the female connectorand conversely, the part described herein as containing the femaleconnector can instead contain the male connector. For example, thefloating joint 500 is shown with a male connector 520; however, thefloating joint 500 can instead be formed to have a pair of spacedfingers (flanges) that define a space therebetween (female connector).The distal end of the anti-inversion strut would thus be formed to havea male joint as opposed to the female joint that is shown. The couplingis the same in that the male joint is inserted into the space formed inthe female joint. Similarly, the nature of the other joints, such as theconnection between the strut and the fixed joint (e.g., joint 230) canbe reversed.

The runner locking feature of the present invention also provides anumber of advantages over conventional designs as well. In particular,the lock insert provides a connecting featureell between shaft segmentsthat allows a method to lock the runner in place by not adding anadditional locking feature which would increase the diameter of therunner which is not desired.

While the invention has been described in connection with certainembodiments thereof, the invention is capable of being practiced inother forms and using other materials and structures. Accordingly, theinvention is defined by the recitations in the claims appended heretoand equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. An umbrella comprising: an elongated shaft havinga first end and an opposite second end; a runner slidably disposed aboutthe elongated shaft and movable along a length of the shaft; and aplurality of ribs that are attached to the runner by a plurality of mainstruts that move between open and closed positions in which in the openposition, the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closedposition, the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position; wherein each ribincludes a distal tip that is defined by a hollow body which has a boreformed therein, the bore containing both a distal end of the rib and aspring that is disposed within the bore between the distal end of therib and a closed end of the bore.
 2. The umbrella of claim 1, whereinthe elongated shaft is formed of a plurality of shaft sections coupledto one another by a plurality of shaft lock members.
 3. The umbrella ofclaim 2, wherein each shaft lock member has a first ridge and a secondridge spaced from the first ridge with a first space formedtherebetween, the first and second ridges serving as stops for the shaftsections when assembled, wherein the first and second ridges extendingradially outward relative to adjacent portions of the shaft lock member.4. The umbrella of claim 3, wherein the runner includes a resilient lockmember that engages the first space of one respective shaft lock memberwhen the runner is in a locked position along the shaft.
 5. The umbrellaof claim 1, wherein a proximal end of each rib is pivotally attached toa top notch that is disposed along the shaft.
 6. The umbrella of claim1, wherein the distal tip has a delta-wing shape defined by a pair ofbeveled leading edges associated with two wings thereof.
 7. The umbrellaof claim 1, wherein the hollow body completely surrounds both the distalend of the rib and the spring.
 8. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein thehollow body includes a base portion in which the bore is formed and anoutwardly flared portion that extends radially outward from the baseportion.
 9. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the spring comprises a coilspring.
 10. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the spring is fullysurrounded and contained within the bore of the distal tip.
 11. Theumbrella of claim 1, wherein the rib and spring are coaxially arranged.12. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the spring applies an axial forceto the distal tip in a direction away from the distal end of the rib.13. The umbrella of claim 1, wherein the spring is sized such that thedistal end of the rib is restricted to a location proximal to a proximalend of the spring.
 14. An umbrella comprising: an elongated shaft with ahandle at one end; a plurality of rib assemblies that support a canopy,each rib assembly including a rib that is attached to the shaft, the ribassemblies moving between open and closed positions in which in the openposition, the ribs are in an open, extended position and in the closedposition, the ribs are in a closed, collapsed position; and a runnerslidably disposed about the elongated shaft and movable along a lengthof the shaft, wherein each rib is attached to the runner by a mainstrut; a hollow distal rib tip that has an axial blind hole formedtherein, wherein a spring is disposed within the blind hole and is incontact with a distal end of the rib and an end wall of the blind holesuch that the distal end of the rib and the spring are fully enclosedwithin the distal tip.
 15. The umbrella of claim 14, wherein the springis fully surrounded and contained within the bore of the distal tip. 16.The umbrella of claim 14, wherein the rib and spring are coaxiallyarranged.
 17. The umbrella of claim 14, wherein the spring applies anaxial force to the distal tip in a direction away from the distal end ofthe rib.
 18. The umbrella of claim 14, wherein the distal rib tip isdefined by a center body portion in which the blind hole is formed andan angled wing portion that extends distal to the center body portionand extends laterally from both sides of the center body portion. 19.The umbrella of claim 18, wherein the angled wing portion comprises afirst section one side of the center body portion and a second sectionon the other side of the center body portion, the first and secondsections lying in different planes.
 20. The umbrella of claim 14,wherein the spring is sized such that the distal end of the rib isrestricted to a location proximal to a proximal end of the spring.